Hoof-expander



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK KING DOVVLER, OF JAMESTOIVN, NEIV YORK.

HOOF-EXPANDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 407,820, dated July 30, 1889.

Application filed March 23,1889.

Serial No 304,400- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK KINGDOWLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Jamestown, in the county of Chautauqua and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Hoof-Expander, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in hoof-expanders, and has for its object to provide a simple light device for the purpose, which may be applied to the hoof independent of a shoe.

Various forms of expanders have heretofore been used but they depend more or less for their attachment upon the shoe, and therefore if the shoe is lost the expander is also lost. Furthermore, the presence of the shoe in many cases interferes with the operation of the expander an d could with ad vantage be dispensed with.

The invention consists in a certain novel construction and combination of parts fully described hereinafter in connection with the drawings and specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved expander applied in the operative position to a hoof, the under side of the latter being shown. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the expander detached from the hoof.

Similar letters denote corresponding parts in the figures.

The expander consists, essentially, of a V- shaped spring A, the divergent arms 13 B of which pass, respectively, on opposite sides of the frog 0 of the hoof D,and the arms terminate in the sharpened studs or points E E, which engage in the hoof on opposite sides of the rear end of the frog. The extremities of the arms B B must be drawn toward each other when the expander is applied, and

when released the points engage the material of the hoof at its rear end and press outward.

The expander conforms closely to the shape of the frog, its arms B B bearing, respectively, against the opposite sides thereof, and flat sharpened spurs G G are formed on the inner sides of the said arms to engage the opposite sides of the frog. These spurs prevent the apex of the expander from dropping out of place, and in combination with the points on the free ends of the arms secure the device firmly to the hoof.

It will be seen that the expander is arranged above the place of the shoe, (not shown,) and is not dependent thereon, and therefore it can be used upon young horses,

and also upon horses whose hoofs are too sore for shoes.

Having thus described the invention, I claim 1. A V-shaped hoof-expander for use independent of the shoe, having spurs on the inner sides of its arms to engage the opposite sides of the frog, substantially as specified.

2. The herein-described hoof-expander for use independent of the shoe, having the divergent arms B B, terminating at their rear ends in points E E, to engage the hoof, and provided at intermediate points with spurs G G, to engage the opposite sides of the frog, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK KING DOWLER.

\Vitnesses:

JAMES L. WEEKS, J AMES L. FOWLER. 

